Executive Assistant & Office Manager

About the role

This role sits at the centre of how the business runs. It is the accountable owner for the founders' time, the flow of information around the client pipeline, and the day-to-day operation of the Thao Dien office.

Ownership covers inbox and calendar management for both founders, the scheduling and preparation of every pipeline call, travel and hosting for the team and for visiting brands, and the office and sample library that supports the pod. This is not a task-taking role. The expectation is fluency in the pipeline, deep enough to brief on any live opportunity without preparation, and the instinct to anticipate what is needed before being asked.

Approved AI tools are part of the workflow, used to raise speed and quality. Reports to the President and works alongside the pod.

Executive support and pipeline

• Manage both founders' inboxes daily, triaging and filing, drafting routine replies, and surfacing what genuinely requires attention.
• Own the calendar for pipeline and client calls, scheduling across US, European, and Vietnam time zones without extended back-and-forth.
• Prepare a written brief before every pipeline call covering the brand, the last conversation, what was committed, and what remains outstanding.
• Attend pipeline calls, take the notes, issue the recap within 24 hours, and drive the resulting actions to closure.
• Keep the pipeline record current after every conversation, including stage, next step, owner, and date, with no verbal-only commitments.
• Maintain client and supplier communication across email, Slack, WhatsApp, Zalo, and WeChat so every thread is logged and retrievable.

The standard: either founder can ask where things stand with any brand in the pipeline and receive a complete answer without a file being opened.

Travel and client hosting

• Book and manage travel for the founders end to end, including flights, visas, hotels, ground transport, and written itineraries.
• Coordinate visiting brands and client teams, arranging airport transfers and accommodation and building a day-by-day schedule across office sessions, factory visits, and meals.
• Make restaurant reservations for work dinners and client entertaining, maintaining a current shortlist of venues appropriate to each occasion.
• Own the visiting-brand playbook so every visit runs to a known standard rather than being reinvented.
• Handle logistics for trade shows and sourcing trips, including scheduling, materials, and post-trip follow-up.

Office and studio operations

• Keep the Thao Dien office running day to day, covering supplies, equipment, utilities, repairs, and cleaning schedules.
• Manage office vendors and service providers, and pass bills, receipts, and expenses to the bookkeeper on schedule.
• Coordinate onboarding logistics for new team members, including desk, equipment, accounts, and first-week schedule.
• Keep the studio and sample rooms in a condition where a client can be walked through at any time without notice.
• Maintain the founders' guide of preferences, SOPs, logins, and recurring workflows so this role is documented rather than memorised.

Materials, samples, and trims

• Receive and log every incoming delivery of fabric, trim, hardware, and samples on the day it arrives.
• Own the sample and swatch library, labelling, cataloguing, and storing so any item can be located in under a minute.
• Prepare and dispatch sample cards, trims, and packages to factories and clients, managing couriers, customs paperwork, and tracking.
• Keep the materials, trim, and factory contact records current, including supplier, MOQ, lead time, and status.

Scope boundary: this role is the custodian of the physical library and its records. Selecting, evaluating, and specifying materials remains with the Product Developer and Sourcing Lead.

Tools

• Communication and files: Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp, Zalo, WeChat, Google Drive
• Operations: Google Calendar, Google Drive as systems of record, UNCVRD OS
• AI: Claude and ChatGPT for company approved automation, drafting, summarising, translation, and reporting

What the role calls for

• 3+ years supporting executives or founders, or in client-facing coordination, account management, or sales support, ideally at an international or client-service business.
• Proven judgment managing another person's inbox and calendar, including deciding what is escalated, what is answered, and what waits.
• Commercial curiosity, with the ability to follow a client conversation closely enough to brief on it and track what was committed.
• Hands-on experience booking international travel, visas, and accommodation, and coordinating visiting guests on the ground.
• Confidence hosting international clients, including restaurant selection and reservations for business entertaining.
• A track record of being technology curious and interested in bringing AI and automation tools into daily workflows to improve speed and quality.
• Excellent client-facing spoken and written communication. English and Vietnamese proficiency required, with written English strong enough to send to a client unedited.
• Organisation, including strong attention to detail, disciplined process documentation, and comfort managing physical inventory.
• Discretion and sound judgment with confidential business and personal information.
• Own motorbike, and comfortable running errands and deliveries around the city.

Engagement and compensation

• Commitment: full-time, salaried position
• Location: Thao Dien, Saigon, Vietnam
• Reports to: President
• Collaborates with: Creative Director, Merchandising Director, Product Developers, Sourcing Lead, Bookkeeper, and client teams
• Capacity: support for two founders across the full client pipeline, plus all inbound brand visits
• Hours: standard office hours, with occasional early or late calls to meet US and European client time zones
• Travel: regular local movement for errands, deliveries, and client logistics, with occasional accompaniment on factory visits and trade shows
• Base salary: competitive monthly base salary in VND, set on experience
• Benefits: statutory benefits, including social, health, and unemployment insurance, annual leave, and public holidays
• Bonus: performance bonus tied to a KPI scorecard and paid twice a year, plus annual thirteenth-month payment